Scots have topped a UK poll of box set bingers

Research has revealed that Scottish viewers are the most likely to watch the highest number of episodes back-to-back, with the average reaching a record high of seven programmes.

The study, released to mark the launch of Game of Thrones Season 6, examined how much energy Scots spend on the fantasy drama that has captured audiences’ imaginations across the world.

The data from Scottish Gas shows that in 2015 entertainment energy usage in Scotland hit an annual high in April last year, coinciding with the release of Game of Thrones Season 5, as the nation powered up their TVs, laptops and tablets to follow the latest instalment from Jon Snow and friends.

The utility company collected the information from Smart meters which come with a smart energy monitor, which gives households a better understanding of their energy use by showing them exactly what energy they are using on entertainment devices.

Fittingly, Game of Thrones was voted the series most likely to make compulsive viewers watch more than one episode in a row.

Luckily for fans, an entire series only costs £1.14, compared to £6.30 for those wanting to indulge in The Simpsons extensive back catalogue.

The research found the top ten boxsets were: Game of Thrones, Friends, Breaking Bad, The Walking Dead, The Simpsons, Only Fools and Horses, Dr Who, The Inbetweeners, 24 and Dexter.

The findings, verified by the company’s Home Energy Report, show that energy usage on TVs has gone up by 19 per cent since the 1990s. DVD usage has also risen by six per cent, demonstrating the nation’s increasing love of entertainment programmes.

Jacqueline Stewart, Smart Energy expert at Scottish Gas, said: “There are some simple ways to be smart with your energy use when it comes to a marathon TV session.

“When you’re settling down to enjoy series, make sure you don’t leave multiple appliances running around the home while you won’t be using them. And, when you’re finished, don’t forget to switch the telly off, rather than leave it on standby!”

More than seven in ten people admit that the reason they watch more than one episode is because it’s addictive, with nearly a quarter stating it’s their favourite thing to do.

Fear of missing out also causes box-set bingeing for nearly one in five people and one in ten do it to please their partner or friends.